Secret
by WitchatHeart77
Summary: Hermione gets a couple gifts from a secret admirer on Valentine's day. Who is he?


-1**_AUTHOR NOTE: For Elmo! Happy Valentine's Day! This is complete. For Hideaway Contest. Please see my profile for homepage._**

"I can't wait to see what Harry got me!"

Ginny was bouncing on the bed at Hermione's feet.

"Please, Ginny! I'm trying to do this Arithmancy essay. It's due next week. I still haven't gotten to my formulations yet! I'll fail it. I know I will." Hermione sighed as she put her hand to her forehead.

"You won't fail it. You never fail anything. And besides, if you are about to start your formulations then you are over half finished by now. Take a break! It's Valentine's Day! You should be out flirting with boys or something."

Ginny got up and left the dorm room. Part of Hermione was glad she left, but a part of her was hoping for the company. It felt awful to be alone on Valentine's.

She sighed again and took up the quill once more. She had barely started her hypothesis when the tapping interrupted her. She got up and followed the annoying sound. She went to the window and let in the most beautiful hawk she had ever seen. It jutted out is claw and she saw a package attached. Hermione offered the hawk something to eat, but it shook its feather's at the offending meatless bowl and took off.

Hermione took the small red box to her desk and opened it. Inside laid the most exquisite handkerchief. It was dark green silk with silver embroidery. Lying underneath it was a note.

_Please forgive me for everything I've done._

_Secret Admirer_

She looked again at the handkerchief. The colors gave her a clue. "Has to be a Slytherin," she thought. But who? What would she have to forgive? Why would anyone from…there…be sending her a gift?

Hermione put the present in her top dresser drawer and left for dinner.

The Great Hall seemed to roar with everyone's musings about their Valentine's gifts. Ginny was kissing Harry, unabashedly no least. He had gotten her a simple heart shaped ruby that dangled from a golden chain. It was quite stunning. Hermione commented as much and began to eat. A few moments later, the hawk came flying in and swooped down to her dropping another package. It was long and slender.

"Hermione! A Valentine's present! Open it up!" Ginny seemed as excited as she could be.

Carefully, Hermione removed the silver ribbon that kept the box closed. She gasped.

A perfect red rose levitated out of the box and stood upright. It had a magical enchantment on it that radiated a faint warm glow.

"Oh, Hermione! It's beautiful! Who's it from?"

She picked up another note. The handwriting was the same.

_Perfection given to perfection._

_Secret Admirer_

Hermione blushed at that. "He thinks I'm perfect," she mused to herself.

Ron took the parchment out of her lank hand. "Secret Admirer?"

"Oh, this just keeps getting better! Who do you think it is, Hermione?" Ginny just couldn't keep calm to save her life. Harry reached up and pulled her back down to her seat.

"Oy, Ginny! Give the girl a chance to catch her breath. She'll tell us when she is ready. Won't she, Ron?"

"Um…yeah. But who would send you something on Valentine's Day?"

Hermione glared at him, picked up her rose, and stomped out after giving him a good hard shove into the table.

"Good one, Ron. Now Ginny will have to go chase her down and tell her that you didn't mean it that way. That you were being a loud mouthed git, and spend the rest of the evening up there in the dorm instead of being with me. Way to stoke a mate's fire."

"Sorry."

"I'll talk to her later. Why don't we go up the Astronomy tower and watch the stars for a bit?"

Harry knew a proposition when he heard one and didn't need to be asked twice.

"See ya, Ron. Have a good one!" And Harry took off after his red headed girlfriend.

Up in the dorm room, Hermione sat on her bed holding the rose between her forefinger and her thumb, rolling it ever so gently. It was indeed perfect. There wasn't a petal out of place and the color was deep. She stroked a petal with the pad of index finger. It was so soft. She held the rose to her chest as shelaid back on her pillows. The aroma of the flower filling her nostrils as she drifted off to sleep.

The next morning, Hermione found the hawk sitting at the foot of her bed. She took the message that it carried.

_Today. My secret will be revealed. However, it must stay that way. We have to be kept secret. For now. I'm sure you know why. Potions. _

_Secret Admirer_

Hermione clutched the note to her chest as she placed the rose on her pillow to hover while she was away. Potions was first thing this morning.

She had been standing in the dungeons for the better part of a quarter of an hour. There was no one around. She looked back down at the missive in her hand. He was going to reveal himself in Potions class.

"What are you doing here early?"

She let out a breath with a sigh and resigned herself to the wall. She didn't want to deal with Malfoy today.

"Oh, I forgot. Trying to be everyone's teacher pet." Hermione looked up to see Draco and Blaise against the opposite wall sneering at her.

"I don't have to explain myself to you, Malfoy."

"No, you don't."

Her eyes shot back to him. What tone was that? Was he agreeing with her?

The door to the potions classroom opened and Professor Snape glared at the three students. He turned quickly and allowed them to enter. Blaise took the lead, but Draco held back for a moment. Hermione started to go in, but felt his hand on her arm. She felt his breath against her ear.

"It might be fun to keep secrets."

He pulled back, winked at her, and went to his seat.

Hermione stood there shocked.

"MISS GRANGER! Please join us when you have finished gawking at the thin air."

She swallowed hard. "Yes, sir." She moved to her seat. Within the next five minutes, the rest of the class arrived. Everyone began working on his or her potions, so Hermione chanced a glance at him. He was working feverishly when he felt her gaze. He looked up at her straight-faced. After shooting a glance around the room to see if anyone was looking, he smiled at her. A genuinely sweet smile.


End file.
